Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund
The Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund is a private foundation based in Detroit, Michigan. Its 2025 grants were designated for scholarships at colleges and universities.
Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund at a glance
In short: Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund gave $277K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $17K), top state Wisconsin. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $277,000
- +9.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -15.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $17,313
- +30.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $8,375
- Total assets
- $5,013,455
- -4.2% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (44% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing states that application materials are available at the school counseling office and lists the contact as WM Retinstrand Superior Senior High School. Applicants must be graduates of Superior High School. The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- April 15.
- Deadline
- April 15.
- Contact
Application contact: Wm Retinstrand Superior Sr High Sch
Mailing address: 2600 Catlin Avenue, Superior, WI 54880
Phone: (715) 384-0271
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Wisconsin-Madison ($77K). Together the top 10 received $227K.
Organizations only. It also paid 3 individual scholarships ($36,250), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
38 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 34 grants of 38 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fund is based in Detroit, Michigan. Its 2025 grant dollars went primarily to recipients in Wisconsin (44%) and Minnesota (34%); other reported recipient-state shares were an individual recipient (8%), Massachusetts (5%), and Michigan (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
How Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund gives
- 86% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+8%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 119% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $228K (2023) to $277K (2025). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $277K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI | Scholarship | $76,500 |
| Univeristy of Minnesota Duluth Duluth, MN | Scholarship | $39,750 |
| University of Wisconsin-Superior Superior, WI | Scholarship | $32,250 |
| Univeristy of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN | Scholarship | $26,750 |
| 3 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $36,250 |
| College of St Scholastica Inc Duluth, MN | Scholarship | $10,750 |
| Bemidji State University Bemidji, MN | Scholarship | $9,500 |
| Michigan Techological University Houghton, MI | Scholarship | $8,500 |
| Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL | Scholarship | $8,250 |
| Wellesley College Wellesley, MA | Scholarship | $8,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,013,455 | $205,064 | $410,839 | $277,000 | 16 | $324,122 | $108,067 | $271,363 |
| 2024 | $5,234,137 | $1,398,164 | $332,007 | $253,000 | 19 | $260,464 | $1,334,836 | $234,510 |
| 2023 | $4,726,622 | $73,038 | $285,130 | $228,250 | 1 | $247,329 | $84,314 | $243,065 |
| 2022 | $4,958,412 | $519,761 | $294,178 | $256,979 | 1 | $256,979 | $488,729 | $277,430 |
| 2021 | $4,734,845 | $332,393 | $280,426 | $252,693 | 1 | — | $304,660 | $275,533 |
| 2019 | $4,828,502 | $291,469 | $288,299 | $234,250 | 1 | — | $269,951 | $242,302 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund reported a distributable amount of $271K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state the fund’s own mission. Its 2025 grants were identified as scholarships and went to colleges and universities. Among the grantees, the University of Wisconsin-Superior says its mission is to manage philanthropic resources supporting opportunities for the university, its students, alumni, employees, programs, and facilities. Wellesley College describes its mission as providing an excellent liberal arts education for women who will make a difference in the world.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the fund made 16 grants totaling $277,000. Grants ranged from $3,000 to $76,500, with a median of $8,375. It made 19 grants totaling $253,000 in 2024 and one grant totaling $228,250 in 2023.
Among its largest reported 2025 grants were $76,500 to the University of Wisconsin-Madison; $39,750 to the University of Minnesota Duluth; $32,250 to the University of Wisconsin-Superior; $26,750 to the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities; and $22,750 to an individual recipient State University. Each was designated for scholarships. Other listed awards included $10,750 to the College of St. Scholastica and $8,000 to Wellesley College.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Comerica Bank Trust N.A. is listed as trustee on the 2025 filing.
Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund's only listed officer is Comerica Bank Trust N A, Trustee on every filing since 2024 (compensated).
Officers on the 2025 filing
Comerica Bank Trust N A
Trustee
On filings since 2024
10 hrs/week
$17K (2024) → $23K (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: BMO Harris Bank N A (2024) — Prior Trustee
- Former: BMO Harris Bank NA (2019–2023) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $23K, to Comerica Bank Trust N a (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund
How much does Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund give each year?
Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund gave $277K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $253K across 19 grants.
What is Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund's typical grant size?
Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund's median grant in 2025 was $8,375, and its average grant was $17,313, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund give grants?
Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund's top state is Wisconsin, with 44% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Minnesota (34%) and North Dakota (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Duluth, MN (3 grants).
Does Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (16 grants).
Who are Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund's largest grantees?
Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund's largest 2025 grantees include University of Wisconsin-Madison ($76,500), Univeristy of Minnesota Duluth ($39,750) and University of Wisconsin-Superior ($32,250), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 3 individual scholarships ($36,250), which are not listed by name. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund?
Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund reported $5.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $324K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $271K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund fund?
The available information does not state the fund’s own mission. Its 2025 grants were identified as scholarships and went to colleges and universities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund?
The 2024 filing states that application materials are available at the school counseling office and lists the contact as WM Retinstrand Superior Senior High School. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund's EIN?
Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-6184729. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 15, 2019)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 29, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 22, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 28, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS October 9, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/victor-and-mary-nelson-scholarship-fund-morg_eaf37021c176441cb6c76c407e50bc57
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_396184729_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/victor-and-mary-nelson-scholarship-fund-morg_eaf37021c176441cb6c76c407e50bc57},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Victor and Mary Nelson Scholarship Fund's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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